Nuts for attaching devices such as a water filter system to a second device such as a water supply (e.g., faucet) are well known in the art. These nuts generally have a hexagonal-shaped body or a body having a plurality of ribs or protrusions (“rib/protrusion” nut) extending from and disposed along a circumference of the body. The hexagonal-shaped nut includes pairs of intersecting faces that form six vertices to form its hexagonal shape. The hexagonal-shaped nut is symmetrical relative to planes that contain either pairs of opposing midpoints of the hexagonal faces or opposing vertices and the longitudinal axis of the nut. With respect to the “rib/protrusion” nut designs, such designs also include a plurality of two intersecting faces that form a plurality of ribs or protrusions. Similar to the hexagonal nut, the “rib/protrusion” nut designs are symmetrical relative to planes that contain a protrusion and the longitudinal axis of the nut.
The portion of the faces near the vertices of the hexagonal nut design and/or the faces of the ribs or protrusions of the rib/protrusion nut design provide a face of equal leverage for a user to grip and/or apply pressure to with his/her hand or fingers no matter which direction the user is rotating the nut (e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise). In other words, the conventional nut designs are bi-directional because they provide a user the same tactile and visual signals in either direction of rotation. This often causes a user confusion as to which direction the nut should be rotated in order to tighten or loosen it.
Accordingly, an improved nut design and method for providing the same are needed in order to inform the user as to the direction that it should be turned to either tighten or loosen it.